Euphoria adds a splash of family fun

Sowetan was part of a media group that was recently invited to Euphoria Lifestyle Golf Estate in Mookgophong, Limpopo, for the launch of their new water park.

The new owners, SAMPADA Private Equity, a 100% black-owned company, added this new feature after noticing that the venue lacked family appeal.

We immediately fell in love with the place on arrival.

Shades of green met the eye as we travelled down the long estate driveway.

The only relief from it was the kaleidoscope of blues the tree tops give way to. Swift brown bodies of buck could be seen darting among the trees, feasting on the few flowering trees. This all before you get to the reception.

A slight “koppie” juts up above the stone guest villas and your eyes naturally follow the cable line that leads from the top down to where a cable car awaits.

You can board the cable car to the top of the mountain where you can have sundowners at Ntshonalanga restaurant. The views of the surrounding area and the undulating 18-hole golf course are spectacular.

Once at reception, you’re greeted by a row of white golf carts standing at attention, ready to whisk you wherever you want to go. These carts are at the guest’s disposal and some are used to transport you to your villa.

However, the atmosphere can be too relaxed sometimes. The pace of the staff is a bit of a shock, especially if you’re used to the hustle and bustle of the city.

Everything is done in an efficient and friendly manner, but it just takes too long.

I had to wait well over 5 minutes for a glass of orange juice.

I spoke to the owner and CEO of the SAMPADA group, Bafedile Mafologela, about this.

“I remember one of the first things I tried to implement was that from the time a person orders a drink to it reaching their table it should be no more than three minutes, but to this day it is still more than three minutes,” he replied.

Mafologela, 34, is aware that a place the size of Euphoria needs vigilant, hands-on management. He is up to the job.

“Service is a huge challenge for us. In fact, if we’ve got a headache, it’s service. We’ve got some really brilliant people, then we have average people, then we’ve got people who are just here for the job.”

Mafologela has hope in the people from the area and they’re investing in their development by providing training instead of just firing and hiring people.

“Our aim is to build better lives for those who have less through the investments we make,” he added.